The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-06-17
Married Women's Property.
FULL TEXT OF THE NEW PENNSYLVANIA
LAW ON THE SUBJECT.

Governor Beaver has approved the
act known as the married persons
property act. Its provisions are as fol
lows:
SECTION l. Be it enacted, ETC., That
hereafter marriage shall not be held to
impose any disability on or incapacity
in married woman as to the acquisi.
ton, ownership, possession, control, use
or disposition of property of any kind
real and personal, or her right and pow
er to make contracts of any kind in any
trade or business in which she may en-
gage, or for necessaries, and for the
use, enjoyment and improvement of
her separate estate, and to give obliga-
tions binding herself therefor; but
every married woman shall have the
same right to acquire, hold, possess, i'm
prove, control, use or dispose of her
property, real and personal, in possess
ion or expectancy, in the same manner
as if she were femme sole, without the
intervention of any trustee, and with
all the rights and liabilities incident
thereto, except as herein provided, as
if she were not married, and property
of every kind owned, acquired or earn
ed by woman before or during her
marriage shall belong to her and not
to her husband or to his creditors pro-
vided, however, that married woman
shall have no power to mortgage or
convey her real estate unless her hus.
bund join in such mortgage or convey
ance.
SEcTIoN 2. A married woman shall
be capable of entering into and render
ing herself liable upon any contract re-
lating to any trade or business in which
she may engage, or for necessaries, and
for the use, enjoyment and improve
ment OF her separate estate to, and of
suing and beng sued either upon such
contracts, or for torts done to or COM
mitted by her, in all respects as if she
were femme sole and her husband
need not be joined with her as plaintiff
or defendant, or be made a party to
any action, suit or legal proceeding of
any kind brought by or against her in
her individual right; and any debt,
damages or costs recovered by her in
any such action, suit or proceeding,
shall be her separate property, and
any debt, damages or costs recovered
against her in any such action, suit or
other proceeding, shall be payable out
of her separate property and not other
wise provided, however, that nothing
in this or the preceding section shall
enable married woman to become
accommodation, endorser, guarantor or
surety for another.
SECTION 3. A married woman may
make, execute and deliver leases of her
property, real and personal, and assign
ments, transfers and sales of her sepa-
rate personal property, and notes, bills,
drafts, bonds or obligations of any kind
and appoint attorneys to act for her,
and it shall not be necessary for her
husband TO be made party thereto or
joined therein.
SECTION A. Husband and wife shall
have the same civil remedies upon con-
tracts in their own name and right
against all persons for the protection
and recovery of their separate property
as unmarried pers ons.
SECTION 8. A married woman may
dispose of her property, real and per-
sonal, by last will and testament, in
writing, signed by her or manifested
by her mark or Cross made by her
at the end thereof, in the same manner
as if she were unmarried, and hereafter
a will executed by a woman before
marriage shall not be deemed TO be re-
voked by her subsequent marriage.